Kansas State Fair seeks county buy-in for $4.2 million emergency command center

Brian Schultz, general manager of the Kansas State Fair, asked the Reno County Board of Commissioners to consider partnering on an emergency operations command center at the State Fairgrounds and signaled the state legislature expects local buy‑in.

Schultz told commissioners the fair is working with Landmark Architects on a design for a year‑round, FEMA‑grade concrete facility at the corner of 20th Avenue and Main Street (the former Fire Station 1). He said the project will house a consolidated emergency operations area for highway patrol, county dispatch, VIN inspection and fair operations and estimated total construction closer to $4.2 million. "We are estimating about a half a million dollars is what we're gonna be requesting from both the city and the county," Schultz said.

The request followed direction Schultz said he received from the state legislature to show what local governments — city and county — would contribute before the legislature considers additional funding. Schultz also said the facility would be used during the fair’s roughly 20 days for load‑in, the fair, and load‑out and that the fairgrounds host hundreds of other events year‑round.

Why this matters: Commissioners said an on‑site command center could improve coordination among first responders during large events, but they questioned why county taxpayers should pay to build on state property and raised operational questions about control and year‑round access.

Commissioners pressed several practical and policy concerns during a lengthy discussion. They noted the building would sit on state property and that the county does not share in Kansas State Fair revenues in a way that would directly reimburse a county investment. Commissioners also asked why the county should fund new construction after the old fire station on the same site was demolished; Schultz replied that the fire station had been evaluated earlier and was not brought up to ADA and other code requirements without a more expensive renovation.

Commissioners asked who would lead operations in an incident on fairgrounds and whether county emergency management would retain control when needed. Schultz said incident command would vary by the nature of an incident — e.g., a fire would be led by the fire chief — but that the value of a single facility is having all agencies in one place and easier access to cameras, dispatch and shared planning.

Several commissioners said any county contribution would need a contractual commitment guaranteeing meaningful county access in the off‑season and a clear plan for cost‑sharing. Schultz said the fair is pursuing grants, expects state funding conversations to continue, and brought the proposal to the commission so local partners could begin planning for a potential legislative ask next year.

No formal county action or vote was taken; commissioners directed staff to continue discussion with the fair, the city and emergency management to clarify ownership, operations, contract terms and the county’s potential role.

Ending: Schultz said he will return with more refined numbers and that the fair will continue seeking grant funding and state support while asking local governments to consider whether and how to participate.